Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-09-30
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence of the Standard
WASHINGTON, Sept. II, 1887.

| The Treasury Department was with
out an official head short tim,
this week, Secretary Bayard having
been absent and Assistant Sec
retary Porter having resigned rather
precipitately and returned to hi.
home in Tennessee. II is whis
pered among the ofiicia gossips thai
the resignation of the Ex-Governor il
due to serious disagreement with
Mr.. Bayard over the controversy OF
the disputed fisheries question. At
least there was no formal farewell be
tween these distinguished gentlemen
as Mr.. Porter left before the return ol
the Secretary from Massachusetts,
whittier he had gone from Philadel
phia. 1t is the opinion of many that
the New England trip was for the
purpose of consulting with well-posted
Democrats in that section with the
view OF securing the services Of suit
able men who will act for our Govern
ment in the settlement of the fishery
troubles with the Canadian authorities.
The policy of our State Department
seems to bring this troublesome pro-
blem to a speedy and satisfactory
solution. In regard to purchase of
bonds by the Government, the Presi-
dent openly expresses the opinion
that the press criticism upon the
Treasury Department in declining to
accept any of the offers of bonds last
week, is inconsiderate, and the Execu-
tive goes on i'll its forceful and vigor-
GUS style to warmly defend the fnan-
cial methods of Secretary Fairchild,
which, of course, have been adopted
with his own sanction.
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Maynard has just rendered decision,
allowing interest to some plaintiffs who
recovered judgment against Ex-Presi-
dent Chester A. Arthur, while he WAS
Collector of Customs at New York, be-
fore he dreamed OF the Presidency.
The question of whether both man
and his wife can properly be in the
Federal Service has come up for con-
sideration. Civil Service Commits
siOner Oberly says that there is no
legal prohibition OF euoi, Z" i..,.iiy ....--
nopoly, but that departmental rule is
against it. On the contrary, Secretary
Fairchild, being questioned about the
subject, by one Of his fair countesses,"
who felt decidedly personal interest
in the matter, informed her that there
was no ruling in such n practice by
the present Administration, and he
advised her to go ahead and spool
their salaries"
The periodical scandal has again
come to the surfacc-this time
in the Postofiicc Department.
the persons concerned being a Repub-
lican chief OF n division, who has been
left undisturbed in good place, and
one of his young lady clerks. Both
will have to go in disgrace, for the
Postmaster General holds a written
record of their guilty love, furnished
by some envious associate in office.
There IRE these wAe think with good
reason, that some of the Government
Departments are seething cesspools
of moral corruption, but that it will be
a difficult, if indeed not an impossible
task, to ferret out and expel in dis
honor these loathsome lepers in COM
parison with whom chameleon would
be rs white as the drifted snow. If
should put in print all l know it would
create a commotion second only to
the startling revelations of the Pail
Mall Gazette. And such are the relics
of the Republican regime-the grand
old party of high moral ideas. God
save the mark! 1t will take the great
Democratic party long time to
cleanse the Augean stables, but that
glorious task will be nobly performed,
even if it requires a quarter of a CEN
tury's work.
Offerings of over five millions of
four and half per cent. Government
bonds were opened by the Treasury
this week-of which sum a little more
then four millions were accepted
prices ranging from 1O7 .9S to 100 for
registered, and from 1O7 .9S to 100 for
coupon bonds. President and Mrs.
Cleveland and many prominent
officials of the Government leave to-
day to participate in the Philadelphia
pageant in honor of the Centennial of
the adoption of the constitution of The
United States, and the celebration will
no doubt be full worthy of the immor-
tai instrument that it commentaries.
Dem.